


When I Grow Up

by tablelamp



Category: Cabin Pressure
Genre: Douglas gives advice, Gen, Heart-to-Heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-14
Updated: 2018-07-14
Packaged: 2019-06-10 13:01:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15292071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tablelamp/pseuds/tablelamp
Summary: Arthur is pondering a very specific Tom Hanks movie when Douglas happens upon him.





	When I Grow Up

Douglas slid into the seat next to Arthur. "You look as though you had something important on your mind."

Arthur was frowning, and he looked at Douglas. "Douglas, did you ever want to be big? Like in the movie _Big_?"

Douglas needed a moment to work out how to respond. "Arthur...the person in _Big_ was a child who wanted to be an adult."

"Yeah?"

"You are, in fact, an adult."

"But when do you feel like one?" Arthur poked at the carpet with the toe of his shoe. "I thought there'd be a clear moment. Something happens and you say to yourself, 'Now I'm an adult. I feel like reading about the stock market and listening to the news and dressing in suits like a very serious person.' But I still don't feel like that."

"Do you want to know a secret, Arthur?" Douglas asked.

Arthur looked crestfallen. "I'm not very good at secrets, Douglas. Maybe you'd better not tell me."

Douglas smiled. "It's a secret, but you don't have to _keep_ it a secret."

"Oh! Then I'd love to know it!" Arthur said, relief visible on his face.

"I don't think many people feel like a proper adult. Not in the way you mean. I certainly don't."

"You don't? But you've got the big boomy voice and everything!" Arthur said, eyes wide with awe.

"Even so," Douglas said. "I think most people feel like themselves, at any age. For some people, that means listening to the news and wearing suits..."

"And reading about the stock market," Arthur interrupted.

Douglas nodded. "And reading about the stock market. But for the rest of us...we just try to deal with the situations we're given. Whether we feel adult or not."

"That's a very good secret," Arthur said solemnly. "Thank you, Douglas."

"You're welcome," Douglas said. "Now. Someone gave me this comic book on our last flight. I don't know what he imagined I'd do with it, but such are the ways of the world. Would you like to read it?"

Arthur nearly catapulted out of his chair in glee. "That would be _brilliant!_ "

Douglas thought it would, rather.


End file.
